Media bodies condemn journalist’s murder in Chhattisgarh, demand safeguards

The murder of a 33-year-old freelance journalist Mukesh Chandrakar who recently highlighted alleged corruption in a Chhattisgarh road project has prompted media bodies to demand a thorough probe and safeguards for reporters.

Journalist bodies, including Press Club of India (PCI), Editors Guild of India, and Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), on Jan 4 demanded a “serious investigation” into the murder of a young reporter in Chhattisgarh's Bastar following his reportage on corruption in road projects.

According to sources, Mukesh’s report had prompted the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to order an inquiry into the road project, whose contract had been awarded to Suresh Chandrakar.

Chhattisgarh police had detained three accused, including a cousin of Mukesh who allegedly arranged a meeting between Mukesh and the contractor Suresh on January 1, the day the journalist went missing, they added.

The police are believed to be questioning several people but Suresh, officers said, was in hiding.

“The young journalist’s death is a matter of grave concern as it raises suspicion of foul play,” the Editors Guild said in a statement on Jan 4.

It asked the state government “to spare no effort in investigating the case speedily and bringing the guilty to book”.

Mukesh had reported that the initial tender for the road project, meant to connect Gangalur and Hiroli in the Maoist hub of Bastar, was worth ₹50 crore but it later rose to ₹120 crore without any changes to the scope of the work.

Following the report, the state government ordered an inquiry into alleged irregularities involving contractors in general, sources were quoted as saying, creating ripples within the region’s powerful contractors’ lobby.

The Press Association, a leading body of journalists, on Jan 4 said the murder had highlighted the need for stronger safeguards to ensure that journalists could work without fear.

A Press Club of India statement, endorsed by the Indian Women Press Corps, condemned the murder and sought time-bound action against the perpetrators.It requested the Press Council of India to ask the state government to act.

“The attacks and killings of journalists reporting from Bastar division of Chhattisgarh are not new but the impunity with which such incidents are being carried out is unacceptable and (should) be addressed effectively,” the Press Club statement said.

“The state government should immediately look into the longstanding demands of local journalists to enact a law to protect journalists.”

In a Hindi post on X, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: “According to reports, Mukesh was brutally murdered after he exposed corruption in his report. I demand from the state government that stringent and immediate action be taken…. The culprits should be given severe punishment, and proper compensation and a job should be considered for the deceased's family.”

Mukesh began his career in journalism in 2012, later forming his YouTube channel, Bastar Junction, which has over 1.59 lakh subscribers. A resident of Basaguda village in Bijapur, he was known for his investigative stories and his fearless reportage on local issues.

Journalists under the banner of the Raipur Press Club on Jan 4 staged a protest in the state capital Raipur against the murder.

Sources were quoted as saying that the contractors’ lobby in Bastar was often accused of threatening and intimidating local journalists, especially those covering corruption.

While Mukesh and Suresh have the same surname, it could not be ascertained whether they were related.

Former Congress chief minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, said: “Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar published a news article five days ago and on the third or fourth day, he was murdered. I personally knew Mukesh and had met him several times. A patriot who was serving society and fulfilling his responsibilities, he risked his life to do so. Anyone who exposes corruption is not safe.”